Hopper discharge gate sealing structure

ABSTRACT

Hopper structure comprising a discharge unit including a closure gate with toggle mechanism having a gate-shifting link with one end pivoted to the gate near the central region of the gate, an operating link pivoted at one end to the other end of the firstmentioned link and pivoted at its other end to a hopper support frame member, and a lever device applicable to the toggle joint between the links for operating the mechanism. The structure includes means effective at the end of the closing movement to close a gap between the gate and the hopper to create a seal therebetween, but acting at the initiation of the opening movement to provide clearance between the gate and the hopper. Preferably the discharge unit may constitute a self-contained unit for application to the lower end of a car hopper or like body.

tinned tatea tent 11 1 1111 1 3,865,066 Fuller Feb. 11, 1975 1 HOPPER DHSCIHARGE GATE SEALING 3,415,204 12/1968 Pase 105/2112 A STRUCTURE 3,509,828 5/1970 3,706,287 12/1972 inventor: Oliver Fuller, Woodstock, 3,780,672 12/1973 Fuller .4 105/253 [73] Assignee: Evans Products Company, I

Plymouth Mich. Primary E.\'ammer-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran [22] F'led: 1972 Attorney, Agent, or FirmBede11 and Burgess [21] Appl. No.: 297,493

[57] ABSTRACT [52] Us, Cl 105/253, 105/232 R 105/282 A Hopper structure comprising a discharge unit includ- 105 304 293 2 ing a closure gate with toggle mechanism having a 51 Int. Cl B6101 7/02, 136161 7/20, B6ld 7/26 gate-Shifting link with one end pivoted to the gate new [58] 1 16111 or Search 105/282 P, 282 R, 253, the central region of the gate, an Operating link p 105 232 A, 304; 293 7 2 oted at one end to the other end 01 the first-mentioned link and pivoted at its other end to a hopper support [5 References Ci frame member, and a lever device applicable to the UNITED STATES PATENTS tog gle joint between the links for operating the mech 998 2 W cmmln OS/m2 R X anlsm. The structure includes means effective at the 1 35 298 end of the closing movement to close a gap between k k 5 R the gate and the hopper to create a seal therebetween, H5307 5/1929 Porter I I 105/282 P but acting at the initiation of the opening movement 1141173 1/1939 Hunkins I I [05/282 R to provide clearance between the gate and the hopper.

2,145,174 [/1939 H ki 105/282 R Preferably the discharge unit may constitute a self- 2,989,93l 6/1961 Joy l 105/282 P contained unit for application to the lower end of a 3,106,899 10/1963 Dorey r 105/282 P X car hopper or 3,127,852 4/1964 Beanchamp 105/282 P 3,138,116 6/1964 Dorey 105/282 P x 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIED FEB] 3 I975 FIG 2 FIG 3 FlG.4

IIIOPPER DISCHARGE GATE SEALING STRUCTURE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Reference is made to an earlier application by the present inventor filed Mar. 28', I972, Ser. No. 238,885, now US. Pat. No. 3,780,672, issued Dec. 25, 1973, in which similar toggle mechanism is utilized but is applied differently to a hopper gate and does not include the gap-closing feature of the present structure and the gate is movable over support framing by a toggle mechanism in which a toggle link is secured to an end of the gate and the thrust of the toggle may incline or cant the gate horizontally on its support framing relative to the desired line of movement, thus tending to increase resistance to its movement.

- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention avoids or reduces the likelihood of the gate canting, as mentioned above. Also, the gate is lowered at the beginning of an opening movement to provide clearance between the gate and the lower edges of the hopper outlet. This facilitates gate movement. When the gate is closed it is raised and, preferably, eliminates such clearance and leakage of the hopper contents. This feature is particularly advantageous when the contents of the hopper are wet, frozen or otherwise unusually resistant to sliding movement of the gate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a hopper outlet structure mounted on a support frame, and including a toggle mechanism for actuating the hopper gate and showing the gate closed. 7

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 corresponds to a portion of FIG. 2 but is drawn to a larger scale and shows the gate out of fully closed position.

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical section on line 4-4 of DETAILED DESCRIPTION Structural channels 11, 12 and angle 13 are parts of the support frame for the hopper outlet structure and may be parts of a railway car or a storage bin or may constitute a self-contained unit applicable to a railway car or to a storage bin. The frame extends longitudinally and transversely and externally of the sloping plates 14, 15 and 16, which have coplanar horizontal lower edges 14e, le, and 16e forming the rim of an outlet opening, the common plane of which is parallel to channels 11 and spaced vertically thereabove.

Journaled on channels 11 are a plurality of rollers 17, l8, 19. The forward pair of rollers 17 near the forward end of the outlet framing are journaled on channels 11 with their upper surface about inch below the level of the upper flange of the channel. The pair of rollers 18 intermediate the ends of the outlet framing are journaled on channels 11 at a slightly lower level than rollers 17. The rear pair of rollers 19 are journaled on channels 11 at a level slightly lower than rollers 18.

Gate 21 is a flat plate normally slidably supported on the upper flanges of channels 11 throughout the major portion of its length with its upper surface spaced 2 below sloping plate edges 14e, e and 16e. Attached to the underside of gate 21 are short roller-engaging raised pads 22, 23 and 24 respectively whose relative thicknesses differ the same amounts as the differences in height of the upper surfaces of their respective rollers. During final closing movement of the gate, forward pads 22, which have cleared rollers 18 and 19, engage rollers 17. At the same time, intermediate pads 23, which have cleared rollers 19, engage rollers 18, and rear pads 24 engage rollers 19. These engagements lift the entire gate uniformly into substantially simultaneous contact with the coplanar lower edges 14a, 15a and 16s of the outlet plates 14, 15 and 16. It will be evident from the drawing, particularly FIG. 3, that during the final closing and lifting movement the plane of the gate will remain parallel to the rim 14e, l5e, 16s of the outlet opening. At the same time, the forward edge of the gate engages a pair of lugs 26 attached to the framing transverse angle 13, and, having inclined upper faces, cam the gate against the outlet front plate 16 intermediate channels 11. An angle 27 is welded to gate 21 near its rear edge and stiffens the gate transversely of its length. The position of the gate when fully closed results in a closed joint between the gate and the edges of the outlet plates and prevents leakage of materials. At the beginning of the movement of the gate from closed position the pads ride off the rollers and the gate moves away from lugs 26 and immediately lowers away from the coplanar edges of all the outlet plates. The weight of material within the hopper facilitates such lowering. This eliminates friction between the gate and the lower edges of the outlet plates.

The gate is actuated by a toggle mechanism including a link 28, the forward end of which is pivoted at 29 to the central region of the gate, as indicated at C, and preferably is near the geometric center of the gate, A relatively short link 30 is pivoted at its outer end 31 to the right-hand cross channel 12 of the framing and at its inner end is pivoted to the right-hand end of link 28. The pivot connection between links 28 and 30 includes a capstan 32 with a series of recesses 33 which selectively receive the end of a detachable manually operated lever which maybe inserted from either side of the hopper. When the capstan is rotated the toggle links are shifted between the full-line and either dotted-line position shown in FIG. 1 and slide the gate along channels 11 but at the beginning of a gate-opening movement and at the end of a gate-closing movement the gate pads ride on rollers 17, 18, 19 and lugs 26 and the gate is moved from and to the raised position as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.

The structure described provides a shorter over-all linkage construction than that shown in the abovementioned application Ser. No. 238,885, and the attachment of the linkage to the central region of the hopper gate reduces or eliminates lateral forces on the gate and twisting of the gate relative to the hopper. The vertical shifting of the gate avoids sliding friction between it and the outlet rim. Preferably the outlet plates, support channels 11, 12, angle 13, and other parts constitute a self-contained unit applicable to a hopper body.

The details of the structure and particularly of the number and arrangement of the terminal supports may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention and exclusive use of such modifications as come within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

[ claim:

1. A hopper structure including a support frame, an outlet chute fixedly supported thereon and a gate therefor slidable along said frame, a gate-shifting mechanism comprising a pair of toggle links pivotally interconnected end to end with the outer end of one link pivoted to said frame and the outer end of the other link pivoted to said gate at a point in the central region of the gate and spaced inwardly from all the edges thereof a substantial distance, means for actuating the toggle joint applicable to the interconnection of said links, and a downwardly facing rim on said outlet chute, said gate being spaced vertically below said rim when in open and partly closed positions, upwardly facing elements mounted directly on said frame at points spaced longitudinally thereof and downwardly facing elements mounted directly on said gate at points similarly spaced longitudinally thereof, said downwardly and upwardly facing elements interengaging to lift the entire gate uniformly throughout its area as it approaches fully closed position for engagement with said rim whenit reaches fully closed position, the opposing surfaces of the forward downwardly and upwardly facing elements being higher than those of the corresponding rear elements.

2. A hopper structure according to claim 1 in which said frame-mounted elements comprise rollers journaled on the support frame, and said gate-mounted elements comprise pads on the gate engaged by said rollers as the gate is closed.

3. A hopper structure according to claim 2 in which the pads near the front end of the closed gate are thinner than the pads near the rear end of the gate and the rollers near the rear end of the chute are lower than the rollers near the front end of the chute by the difference in thickness of the pads.

4. A hopper structure according to claim 3 in which the toggle links and the gate is intermediate said middle rollers.

5. A hopper structure including a support frame, an outlet chute fixedly carried by said support frame and having a downwardly facing rim and a gate therefor slidable along said frame between an outlet-open to an outlet-closing position, said gate being vertically spaced below said outlet rim while open and partially closed, upwardly facing elements mounted directly on said frame at points spaced longitudinally thereof and downwardly facing elements mounted directly on said gate at points similarly spaced longitudinally, said downwardly and upwardly facing elements interengaging to lift the entire gate uniformly throughout its area toward engagement with said rim as it approaches fully closed position for engagement with said rim when it reaches fully closed position, the opposing surfaces of the forward downwardly and upwardly facing element being higher than those of the corresponding rear elements.

6. A hopper structure according to claim 5 in which said frame-mounted gate lifting elements comprise rollers journaled on the support frame below said gate at points spaced apart along the direction of movement of said gate and said gate-mounted elements comprise pads on the underside of said gate engageable with said rollers as the gate approaches fully-closed position.

7. A hopper structure according to claim 6 in which the rollers near the rear end of the chute are lower than the rollers near the front end of the chute, and the pads near the front end of the gate are thinner than the pads near the rear end by the difference in height of the rollers. 

1. A hopper structure including a support frame, an outlet chute fixedly supported thereon and a gate therefor slidable along said frame, a gate-shifting mechanism comprising a pair of toggle links pivotally interconnected end to end with the outer end of one link pivoted to said frame and the outer end of the other link pivoted to said gate at a point in the central region of the gate and spaced inwardly from all the edges thereof a substantial distance, means for actuating the toggle joint applicable to the interconnection of said links, and a downwardly facing rim on said outlet chute, said gate being spaced vertically below said rim when in open and partly closed positions, upwardly facing elements mounted directly on said frame at points spaced longitudinally thereof and downwardly facing elements mounted directly on said gate at points similarly spaced longitudinally thereof, said downwardly and upwardly facing elements interengaging to lift the entire gate uniformly throughout its area as it approaches fully closed position for engagement with said rim when it reaches fully closed position, the opposing surfaces of the forward downwardly and upwardly facing elements being higher than those of the corresponding rear elements.
 2. A hopper structure according to claim 1 in which said frame-mounted elements comprise rollers journaled on the support frame, and said gate-mounted elements comprise pads on the gate engaged by said rollers as the gate is closed.
 3. A hopper structure according to claim 2 in which the pads near the front end of the closed gate are thinner than the pads near the rear end of the gate and the rollers near the rear end of the chute are lower than the rollers near the front end of the chute by the difference in thickness of the pads.
 4. A hopper structure according to claim 3 in which there are a series of front, rear and intermediate rollers on each side of the gate and the connection between the toggle links and the gate is intermediate said middle rollers.
 5. A hopper structure including a support frame, an outlet chute fixedly carried by said support frame and having a downwardly facing rim and a gate therefor slidable along said frame between an outlet-open to an outlet-closing position, said gate being vertically spaced below said outlet rim while open and partially closed, upwardly facing elements mounted directly on said frame at points spaced longitudinally thereof and downwardly facing elements mounted directly on said gate at points similarly spaced longitudinally, said downwardly and upwardly facing elements interengaging to lift the entire gate uniformly throughout its area toward engagement with said rim as it approaches fully closed position for engagement with said rim when it reaches fully closed position, the opposing surfaces of the forward downwardly and upwardly facing element being higher than those of the corresponding rear elements.
 6. A hopper structure according to claim 5 in which said frame-mounted gate lifting elements comprise rollers journaled on the support frame below said gate at points spaced apart along the direction of movement of said gate and said gate-mounted elements comprise pads on the underside of said gate engageable with said rollers as the gate approaches fully-closed position.
 7. A hopper structure according to claim 6 in which the rollers near the rear end of the chute are lower than the rollers near the front end of the chute, and the pads near the front end of the gate are thinner than the pads near the rear end by the difference in height of the Rollers. 